Every Suspicion
by concretya
Summary: AU. In 1981, Voldemort and Peter had fun playing with the trust in a certain group of friends. In 1993, Sirius and Harry hunt Remus. Slash undertones.
1. Prologue

**Every Suspicion**

**By Concretya **

**Disclaimer: Not mine. JKR's. **

**Summary: In 1981, the Potters switched to Peter later only after Sirius was attacked. Peter betrayed them, and Voldemort had fun playing with the trust in the group of friends. And now, with the thirteen-year-old Boy who Lived fresh from his second year at Hogwarts,  Peter reappears to the Wizarding World. **

**Major swearing, and slashy Remus/Sirius undertones, because theirloveissocanon.**

---

**Prologue**

**---**

Sirius Black stared dully at the newspaper in front of him. Why was it here? It was yellowing, and the fold was cracking, and it had been rubbed thin in places… but it was _in his cell. _Had some tourists brought it with them when they came to gape at the prisoners? Had someone intentionally left it in the barren hallways with the soulless Dementors? 

Or wait… Sirius scrabbled frantically at the paper, trying to arrange the pages and get to the front… there. 

Three pictures stared up at him. Three _familiar_ pictures.

One was himself, naturally. He had a bad feeling about this… and his face always showed up on articles with bad news. He, apparently, had become a symbol of trauma and decay. 

The second, right above the first, was… Peter Pettigrew? The Wizarding world thought Peter was dead! They thought he was innocent, a hero, yes, unlike Sirius, but nevertheless they thought he had passed forever. And there was an article on him? 

But the third picture inevitably drew his gaze… no, he didn't want to look at it, please no… he had _taken_ that picture, blast it! All those years ago… he snarled at the bastard glaring up at him. Remus Lupin. Yes, Peter had ultimately killed James and Lily. But Remus, Remus had _hurt him_, it was one thing for little Peter to turn, but Remus was so much closer to him… 

Arg. The question was, why did this article talk about the three of them? One innocent Death Eater in Azkaban, one Death Eater in hiding, and one Death Eater who was thought dead and innocent. All childhood friends… what the hell?

**…formerly thought dead, killed by the infamous Sirius Black, a wizard named Peter Pettigrew has shown himself to be alive… tracked Sirius Black down after the Death Eater betrayed their mutual friends, James and Lily Potter… **fuck it, was this all the article was going to be about? He'd heard it over and over again, and the whole wizarding world knew it to be a legend… only he, and those two backstabbers, knew that it was false… 

**…Pettigrew became an unregistered Animagus at the age of fifteen. The public is warned that Black is also one, and can turn at will into a large, black, Grim-like dog…**

**…Pettigrew verified the charges against Black, offering more proof that Black was a trusted Death Eater… information also indirectly supported the accusations against Remus Lupin, a werewolf thought to be in league with the Dark Lord. He is thought to have worked closely with Black, and has been on the top wanted list for twelve years…**

Like hell. That traitor working with _him?_ Hah. Just because they fucking lived in the same flat, and Remus was a damn turncoat, and Sirius was wrongly accused of being a Death Eater…. Right. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin on the same side in this pathetic war. 

But Peter had shown himself. And had the Ministry on his side. And here he was thinking well, at least Pettigrew has to live as the rat he is… 

…and Pettigrew would have access to Harry, now that he had the Ministry's trust. Dammit.

There had been five of them. Five. And then Lily and James were… were _killed_, bloody _betrayed…_ And now Sirius, who had tried so hard to protect his friends and the light, was in Azkaban, rotting away. And of the two traitors, the _real _Death Eaters, one was walking free and one was roaming the world. 

---

**Woohoo. Fear not, Things Shall Be Explained. But next chappie is back to '81… It should be longer than this was.**

**Author's Note: Okay. I love AU fics about '81.  Here's my shot at it. Trying for something slightly different than the rest. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Every Suspicion**

**Concretya**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. JKR's. **

---

**Chapter One**

**1981**

---

He woke to the sound of silence, that dreary Tuesday that was the start of so much. Or wait, not silence… there was certainly raucous clamoring in his head. 

Sirius Black looked at his watch and sighed. "Shi-" he paused. Here he was, lying awake at six bloody thirty because of an abominable headache. And the house sounded unnaturally silent. It would take a while to get used to talking here. And the silence seemed to be resisting sound.  But he experimentally finished the phrase. "-it." 

Well, it was a small price to pay. An empty house for the lives of three people. A headache for being the only person who could ruin those lives.  And he wouldn't. By god, he wouldn't.

The casting of the Fidelius charm had gone smoothly the day before. Sirius, however, couldn't remember much of it- just James looking more worried than anyone had a right to make him, Lily murmuring that the charm didn't look _that_ hard, she might even be able to do it herself….

It was the dinner right before that stuck in his mind now. Remus was too _interested, _and Peter was too _disinterested._ And James had been a bloody fool, telling the two of them where Sirius himself would be hiding… that was something he'd been planning to confront James about. They didn't know who the spy was, really, and Sirius would prefer if his location was unknown. 

_Stop it_, he told himself this morning. _It's not like Wormtail's gonna tell anyone where you live, for kripe's sake... Or Moony. _

But it would be so much better if he didn't have to worry about his locations being forced out with Imperius or Veritaserum…

Hell, it would be so much better if there wasn't a war, and there was no such thing as betrayal.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair in a way vaguely reminiscent of James, turned to his other side, and pulled up the blankets. 

This was going to be excruciatingly boring, and lonely, and nerve-wracking. He wanted more sleep before thinking again. 

---

Sirius felt gnawing sickness in his gut when he woke again. The mid-afternoon sun streaming through the small window burst in on his mind, and black spots had come to dance in his eyes before he'd even opened them. If he moved his body he would likely puke, and if he moved his head he would likely faint. Either that or he would completely explode.

It seemed that, while he slept, his fear and unease had manifested itself into physical pain. Great. Just great. 

He cautiously reached out for his wand. Eyes still clamped tight shut, Sirius slipped his hand under the covers, scrambling for the slender wood. Ah. There it was. 

Sirius wanted to moan. But he wouldn't, because… well, no reason. Except that he was cowering in his new bed, considering the mess he'd just made of four lives.

James and Lily. Lily and James. They were depending on him. His first and best friend. Then Lily, to whom he had _always_ wanted to prove himself. And when James had married Lily, Lily had said she was practically marrying Sirius as well. 

And Harry. Harry was depending on his Padfoot.  The only reason Sirius didn't want to ever be Harry's father was because it would mean James and Lils were dead. The only reason.

And now all three of them were depending on _him._

And he had to depend on Remus and Peter. On their loyalty. 

He didn't _like_ it when he had to rely on someone else, when someone else had the power to destroy everything. 

And the Potter family was _his_ responsibility. They shouldn't need the integrity of _anyone_ else. 

He couldn't even move to hide somewhere else. The others might be threats, but it would be even more dangerous for him to transfer elsewhere. He would need to tell James or Dumbledore first, and he couldn't get to Hogwarts… and going to Godric's Hollow was most definitely out of the question. So… were there _any_ options?

Sirius needed some time away from this blasted sun and headache. He gingerly sat up. Padfoot would give him some respite. From everything. 

The bang that meant the wards were down came in the split second he was transforming, and he barely noticed. The large black dog stood stock-still, tensed. This was wrong. Something was wrong. Something was happening. This shouldn't be happened. The house smelled strange. Wide open. It didn't take long for him to recognize what this meant; the boys and he had experimented to see just what magic the Animagi forms could detect. Shit. 

Padfoot snapped up the wand in his jaws, sprang off the bed, and did something a human Sirius would never do- dashed under the bed. He was fairly _quivering_ to leap out at the intruders, but things were different now. He had to avoid trouble now. 

Three figures came rushing into the room. Padfoot could only see their legs, but he somehow doubted their faces would be visible even if he was staring straight at them. And that would certainly get him killed. 

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"It's where he said. You honestly think we would mess something like this up?"

"Well, where is Black, then?" Two of the Death Eaters remained standing at the door; but the other was striding all around the room. 

This was it. There was no way they wouldn't find him… so he had to find them first. And hold them just long enough to make a break for it. _Got it, Padfoot? You _run. _No heroics. James and Lily and.. and Harry are depending on you. Gods, this war has Sirius Black _running!_ It's all so wrong, so wrong…_

Padfoot laid his right paw over the wand and took a deep breath. Words on the tip of his tongue,  the Grim-dog  transformed into a young man and sprung from under the bed. 

Sirius catapulted at the single Death Eater, shouting "Stupefy!" even as he was in the air. The bed overturned with a clatter, and the other Death Eaters' spells went awry. But Sirius' current target dodged, riposting instantly. He blocked the incoming curse, whirling and sending a succession of light bouncing off the walls. 

His speed proved to be his undoing as fatigue, stress, and dehydration rushed back.  His head reeled, mind spinning in the opposite direction of his body. He barely managed to dodge the next curse, stumbling instinctively out of the way. 

_This can't be happening_. Sirius, in one last, desperate attempt, dropped to the ground. The bottom of his stomach plummeted and rose with waves of bile; his headache subsided in the brief moment he lay prone, but it was in that moment that a curse found its mark. It wasn't a drastic curse, no, Sirius regretted that he had seen much worse; but he could feel his face seizing up, his lips merging into each other, his jaw cracking. 

All three of the enemies shouted **stupefy!** Sirius tried to speak and couldn't, rolled, and was hit by one of the stunning spells. It was highly likely that the blackness engulfing him was naturally generated as well as magical. 

---

Lily was musing, curled up on the couch in front of the fire. Her Harry was nestled in with her; he was the difference between her current home and the seven years she spent in the haven of the Gryffindor Common Room. 

She was attempting not to worry, truly she was, but the whole situation was nagging her, keeping her awake when she was so warm, snuggling here with her son. Lily had long ago adjusted herself to the threat of Voldemort, but this estrangement was new. 

How long would she feel like this? How long would they live like this? Were they talking months, was Voldemort about to meet his downfall so all the cobwebs could be cleared away? Or were they talking years? Would Harry grow up ostracized from everything even as the war raged? Did either side have enough resources to keep the war in full throttle?

What if it appeared that the war was over, and they thought they could walk free again, and disaster struck?

Would they even know what horrors were happening to their friends outside?

"Whatcha thinking about, love?"

Lily smiled as James came and sat beside her. She immediately leaned her head against his chest, tucked under his chin. Her husband gently rested a hand on their son.

"The common room," the redhead heard herself replying.

"What about it?"

"How similar it is to here. Well, except it's just the three of us, no Remus or Sirius or Peter… so how similar our house is to the common room really late at night. When sensible people are in bed," she added blandly.  "And it's all dark. And quiet."

"You know, Lily… it wasn't always dark and quiet."

"I know. Believe me, I know." 

"Oh really? Perfect Lily Evans knows what goes on in the common room after hours?"

"Perfect Lily Evans _knew._ Perfect Lily _Potter_ knows _now_." She smiled. "Once in my fourth year I came in to the dorms even later than you did, you know."

"And?" He nuzzled her. 

 "You were all sleeping in a heap. Well, Remus and Sirius were sleeping in a heap, and the rest of you were conked out nearby."

"Padfoot and Moony always were silly little puppies." James fell silent. Lily stared into the fire until her eyes watered.

"It may not have been lonely there at night, but we're _here_ now." 

James buried his face in Lily's flaming hair. "But we have Harry now." 

---

Sirius could've sworn he heard a whispered "Enervate" as he woke. But he kept his eyes clenched shut, and no one seemed to notice that he was conscious again. Indeed, the three Death Eaters were talking, a conversation he wasn't supposed to be listening to.

"…sure it's the right man? It would be seen as a heinous betrayal if we brought the wrong one…"

"The Lord would not like it if it was the correct person, and we failed to bring him. And we followed the information. If this is not Black, it will show that our information was false."

His breath quickened. Was he about to hear who the spy was? If only he was, and got away…This was it, thiswasit, the first step…

Luck was with him. 

"I suppose. I don't trust that Lupin."

WHAT? Bloody _hell! _Sirius could only pray that he had not made any noises out loud that would show he was awake. Remus? Moony? His friend? His _mate?_ He had known it could be Moony, yes, but he had tried not to worry about it, and… Moony. Damn him.

One thought surfaced and pushed his rage away: Get out of here. 

In one motion, he sat up halfway and dove forwards. One of the Death Eaters immediately shot a jet of red light at him, but he was Padfoot before it hit, and it sailed over his head. 

_Pleaseletthisworkpleaseletthisworkpleaseletthispleaseplease…_ he spotted his wand lying on the floor a few feet in front of him. He transformed faster than he had in his life before, popping into his human shape, practically slamming a hand on to his wand, and switching back to his dog shape. An explosion of tinkling glass rang out as the unspecific  magic he had just used sent a tremor up the wall and shattered the window. 

The others spun instinctively. Padfoot snatched up his wand in his mouth and ran like the fires of hell were behind him. As he cleared the neighborhood of his small hideout, he had a nasty though- _That was too easy_. Until it sunk in. _They can afford to be careless with a measly Black now that they have that damn werewolf as an informant._

---

"DUMBLEDORE!" The bellow very nearly shook the floor of the office in which sat the man being called. He was weary, and could hardly believe the news he had just received. The head of the Order of the Phoenix had been in grim contemplation of the magnitude of this catastrophe when- "DUMBLEDORE!"

Albus Dumbledore felt something clench his heart when Sirius Black sprinted into the circular room. Sirius would certainly be one of the… casualties, one might say,  of this betrayal. 

The young man was trembling. Out of breath, slightly battered, and trembling from fear, exertion, or anger. His words, practically spat out, confirmed which of the equally likely emotions it was.

"Professor, _find Remus Lupin._" Sirius banged his fist on the table. "Find him, Dumbledore!" Albus opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius continued, his normally deep voice skipping an octave and tripling in volume. "REMUS LUPIN IS A BLOODY TRAITOR."

Well then. There was only one good thing to this- Albus needn't tell the rash,_ "excitable"_  Black that his friend- no, mate _and_ brother-  had no compunctions to seeing their little band of friends die.  And that would hardly qualify as good in light of the situation… Sirius probably found out in an unsavory way. 

"Did you speak to anyone before coming here?" he asked sharply. Sirius' eyes flashed, and the black-haired man opened his mouth to protest, but Albus cut in again. "Yes, Sirius, I am aware of Remus Lupin's betrayal."

Sirius did a double take. Albus _knew?_ "Since when?"

"Since when? I have known for merely a few hours. I was informed this morning. If you are referring to Lupin's position as a Death Eater… no one can say."

Though he was no longer yelling, Sirius was still tense. And would be for a very long time. _Hell, Prongs and Wormtail and I broke the law for _him?_ I _lived_ with him! I _loved _him, we _all _did! _"So do you have him?" _I'm just _dying_ to speak with him._

"No."

"WHAT? You've known for _hours_ and you don't even have him? Professor, Remus knew where I was staying, and that I was the Secret Keeper! He's a fucking _Death Eater!_" 

"Sirius, Remus Lupin disappeared this morning, right before my informant found out about his position. I have informed the Ministry, but as of yet, he has not been found." Dumbledore's eyes glittered coldly. Even he had trouble deciphering the differences between anger and sorrow when a former student- especially _that_ student- threw away everything. "Right now, we need to speak to the Potters, and Pettigrew."

---

**Author's Note: Whee. Chapter one.  Comes with references to puppy-love and Lily & James fluff, naturally **

**####. I officially hate my writing style. This is way too abrupt. :wail:**

**Ahh. It's killing me that I can't write Remus, but that will… well, I can't. Yet. Right now it's Sirius-torment… but later shall come Remus-torment…**

**Kachi is my unofficial beta. ::glomps::**


	3. Chapter 2

**Every Suspicion**

**Concretya**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. JKR's. **

---

**Chapter Two**

**1981**

---

"I don't believe it," James replied flatly.

"I don't _want_ to believe it," Lily added, staring at Dumbledore, flushed.

"You think _I _do?" Sirius all but screamed.

"Well, maybe you misheard."

"But I _didn't_. Prongs, listen to me. I heard them. He- he really did turn to them."

Lily closed her eyes; she could feel James slump beside her. "What's happening now?" she asked tentatively.

Dumbledore spoke for the first time. "Remus Lupin is nowhere to be found; his house is abandoned. And Voldemort's supporters know that Sirius is your secret-keeper."

"They could have figured that out by themselves," James mumbled.

"They also knew where I was hiding!" exclaimed Sirius.

"Which is why," Dumbledore fixed him with a firm eye, "You will need to relocate to a more secure location. I will set it up as soon as possible. In the meantime-"

"Wait-" Sirius started to say something.

"-Try to remain sane. This is an important time for us all. I wish you more than luck."

---

"After all that we've done for him!" James sat at the kitchen table, staring at the dents in it. It was soft wood, and quite roughed up by Marauder play. But that, of course, wasn't what he was thinking about; he wasn't even thinking about Lily, who was sitting silently across the table. "I mean…"

Sirius was stalking angrily around the room. He had been silent up until that point, seemingly content with glaring at everything and everyone in his way; but now he snapped at his friend. "Oh, shut _up!_"

James' face contorted for a moment, before he managed a strangled "'scuse me?"

"I said shut up." Sirius kicked the refrigerator door. "Just shut up about what we've 'done for him' and all that rot. Who really _cares_?"

"Um."

"He's just a bloody bastard, plain and simple, so why start making up crap about 'old friendship' and stuff?"

"Sirius."

"James."

"You don't _really_ mean that. I mean… it's _Moony_."

Sirius scoffed. "_Moony_. Oh, right. _Him._"

James stood up slowly. "Sirius, just calm _down_. And don't talk that way."

"Problem, James? You got a problem with me knocking down a fucking Death Eater just because he used to be in our House?"

Wow. Just… wow, James thought. He was taking this hard himself, of course; it was _Moony_ and this bloody war _ruined_ it all…. But Sirius was really worked up. And rather… harsh? Obnoxious? The part that scared James was that he wasn't sure if Sirius was being more or less reasonable in this screwed up rationale.

"For better or for worse, dammit, you can't deny what happened, Sirius!"

"Oh, don't pretend to act all stupid, James."

"Why don't both of you shut up?" Lily snarled, "Before I'm tempted to kick you out of my house."

"Well," Sirius retorted huffily, "if James would stop being so _delicate_ I would tell him what I think we should do instead of sitting around on our asses talking about that bastard."

James winced at the wording, but responded simply. "Do tell."

"Well… Dumbledore seems to think it's enough just to find another hiding place for me. I really don't want to become wolf bait, but maybe that's just me."

"But this time," Lily pointed out, "There won't be anyone to _tell_ the Death Eaters where you are, right? So what're you talking about?"

"I think we should get someone else to do the charm."

"What?"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Like who, and _why_?"

"Peter, of course!" Sirius said. "And… I'd just feel safer. Y'know?"

"Not really, no." Lily replied as her husband remained silent. "But maybe Dumbledore would-"

"Wait one _second_!" interrupted Sirius. "Let's not go rushing off to tell Dumbledore, huh?"

"Whyever _not_? Don't tell me you suspect him now, too?"

"No. Of course not. I mean, of course I trust him. But the fewer people who know the better, right? You guys, me, and Pete."

James spoke. "I get the whole Wormtail-thing, Pads, but… I think it'd be safer _to _tell Dumbledore. And this is _really_ important."

"We didn't tell him everything in the Marauder days! Hell, we didn't tell _anyone_ _anything_!"

"In case you haven't noticed, this is _different!_ This is our _lives._"

"Not to mention me and Harry and lots of other people, too, Sirius!" Lily added.

He ignored her and continued talking directly to James. "Oh, so our seven years at Hogwarts _weren't_ life? We should disregard everything we learned and did just because, hey, it was only school? It didn't really affect us or anything?"

Lily narrowed her eyes at Sirius before glancing at her husband; James stared at the table for a minute.

"Right. Let's do it, Padfoot. Get Peter."

---

"How did it go, Headmaster?"

"It went, Severus, it went."

Severus Snape scowled. "Given as I provided you with the relevant information, and may even have more, I would appreciate more detail, sir."

Albus sighed. "Very well. The Potters- all three of them- and Sirius Black have been notified of Remus Lupin's betrayal. Lily and James had trouble believing it at first-"

"I wouldn't put it past them to _still_ not believe," Snape put in snidely. "Judging from-"

"Severus. They are now adjusting to the fact that their friend has become a Death Eater."

"_Not_ a Death Eater. Just a spy for Voldemort. Keep that in mind."

"Very well, and thank you, Severus. We will find a new, secure hiding place for Sirius as soon as possible; in the meantime, he's staying in the Potter house. Hopefully, Lord Voldemort will never think to look there, of all places."

"That's where there's a problem, Headmaster," Snape said quickly. "Apparently, Black is no more trustworthy than his filthy friend."

Dumbledore frowned. "Do explain, quickly- or is this just a rumor?"

"No," he snapped. "I was invited to a meeting of Death Eaters and found some _interesting_ information. It appears that Black is also a spy within our ranks." He paused, but the other man did not say anything. "I heard Malfoy and Lestrange referring to him. I believe 'he will give us the information soon' was the phrase they used."

"Which would mean that Sirius Black was going to betray the Potters to Lord Voldemort?"

"They also mentioned that the staged fight between Lupin and Black had proceeded according to plan. We've played right into their grasp by trusting those two."

---

James had never run so fast before in his life, not even in stag form. This was probably because never before had Voldemort been knocking at the door of his family's house.

_"This Halloween is so different from all the ones at Hogwarts,"_ Lily had said a few hours earlier. How right she had been. How horribly right.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" James screamed, hurtling down the long halls of his empty house. _I hope they never celebrate Halloween again as long as they live_, he thought suddenly; and then he almost threw up from what was implied.

And then, without warning, Voldemort was upon him, cackling madly. "Poor bugger, probably doesn't even know whether his precious friend Wormtail is dead or a traitor. Probably doesn't know which is worse," someone said in the background, probably a Death Eater.

"Avada Kedavra."

---

Dumbledore sat in front of a roaring fire, head in hands, trembling. "It's a pity," he said out loud in a frail voice, "that no matter how powerful a wizard, you lose strength in their old age. And it's such a pity that sleep has to be interrupted with bad tidings."

And then he just sat there in silence. It was hard even for him to comprehend what had happened that night.

Voldemort was gone, yes, but not forever.

Maybe if Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had loved Lily and James as they claimed, Lily and James would have survived. After all, it was love that saved Harry. James and Lily were deserving of love, but for some cruel reason, they hadn't received it.

And now the world had changed.

---

**Author's Note: I added a bit more since the last time I posted this, since I hadn't ended it where I wanted to. I'm still not completely satisfied with the ending, but it seems a bit more complete.**


	4. Chapter 3

**1993 **

_

* * *

_

**_PETER PETTIGREW RETURNS!_**

_Thirteen years ago, young wizard Peter Pettigrew was apparently murdered by the infamous Sirius Black. (See story on page 24) Yesterday, Pettigrew showed himself to be alive._

_Pettigrew requested an audience with Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore early yesterday afternoon. After much initial confusion, Pettigrew was proved to be himself, and told a compelling story._

_"When I was fifteen," he said, "James Potter, Sirius Black, and I, all became illegal Animagi. We did it because our friend Remus Lupin was a werewolf."_

_Pettigrew, when faced with death at former friend Black's hands, transformed himself into his usual shape, a rat, and scurried away._

_"I was s-scared," he recalls now. "Two of my closest friends were traitors, and the Potters were dead. I foolishly didn't even know whether to trust Dumbledore… and poor Harry was just a baby…" Pettigrew remained hidden for thirteen years._

_Pettigrew also provided more evidence, currently classified, about Black's and Lupin's support of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. "They staged a fight, I remember, so that we'd trust Sirius more, and then Sirius turned J-James and Lily in to Voldemort." He will also be working closely with the Ministry to finally apprehend Lupin and Black. "It's important to also remember that Sir-Black is also an Animagus. He's probably using that disguise to travel around, since so many people recognize his face."_

_Black's animal form is a large black dog, almost like a Grim. Any sightings should be reported immediately. _

Albus Dumbledore sighed, carefully folded the paper, and set it aside on his desk. It had been a great shock to the Wizarding world when Black escaped from Azkaban, and now this? Things were starting to turn very chaotic. And with Harry Potter at school, he wasn't even positive he could keep the Hogwarts atmosphere normal for all the other students.

Part of him wished they hadn't released most of this information to the press- just the warning about Sirius Black's Animagus form. But in the long run, they deserved to know what was happening.

That was another thing- Black, Pettigrew, and Potter being Animagi. Pettigrew was the most shocking; as an impartial headmaster, Albus would not have thought the boy had it in him. Of course, he wouldn't expect little Peter to turn into the confident defender of good. And he didn't expect Black and Lupin to betray their friends. Those boys were close, and the Animagus incident only proved it.

Albus picked up his cup of tea and drank. There was so much to worry about these days- Black and Lupin, Pettigrew, Harry Potter… and, of course, the new school year. He was Headmaster first and foremost.

* * *

A large black dog slinked down the street, glancing at the fancy suburban houses on each side. _Harry… Harry… Harry… _he thought. _Where's Harry? _

_Just a glimpse of Harry, please_. He begged, wincing when he hit his sore pads on the pavement too roughly. It was dark, but the houses were welcomingly lighted- probably dinner time. Mmm, food. He almost stopped to beg at one of the Muggle houses. The wizard world was now on alert for his Grim form, but surely there was no way Muggles could understand that… Well, not now. Now the most important thing was Harry. _I wonder what he looks like… more like James or Lily?_

Suddenly there was a commotion ahead, at the street corner. Sirius noticed the small figure, and dashed towards it. There! It was Harry! It _had_ to be Harry!

He was standing on the corner, a look of anger on his face, his trunk and broom beside him. Sirius hesitated for a second- it would be safer for himself and possibly for Harry if he just stayed out of it, watched from the shadows- but then plunged forward into the circle of light cast by a street lamp. He couldn't trust his godson, James' son, to the Ministry. Not any more, now that the rat Pettigrew had such power there.

* * *

**Author's Note: Again, it's short. Again. I'm really sorry. I've been overloaded with work, and recently I was home sick and decided to write more; but I don't know when I'll be able to write again so I'm just putting up what I have. I'm also trying to break it up to make it less confusing. Hope to get more up soon!**


End file.
